The passage of Proposition 8 in Tuesday's election represents a crushingpolitical defeat for gay rights activists, who had hoped public opinion on thecontentious issue had shifted enough since the state overwhelmingly passed anearlier gay marriage ban in 2000 to help them defeat the measure.

"Wepick ourselves up and trudge on," Kate Kendell, executive director of theNational Center for Lesbian Rights, said early Wednesday when it appeared themeasure was headed for passage. "There has been enormous movement in favor offull equality in eight short years. That is the direction this is heading, andif it's not today or it's not tomorrow, it will be soon."

With almostall precincts reporting, election returns showed the measure winning with 52percent. With election officials and others estimating 2 million to 3 millionprovisional and absentee ballots remained to be tallied, leaders of the No on 8campaign said they were not ready to concede.

"Because Prop 8 involvesthe sensitive matter of individual rights, we believe it is important to waituntil we receive further information about the outcome," Geoff Kors, director ofEquality California said in a statement Wednesday.

But based on trendsand the locations of the votes still outstanding, the margin of support in favorof the initiative appeared secure. The Yes on 8 campaign declared victory justafter midnight.

"People believe in the institution of marriage," FrankSchubert, co-manager of the Yes on 8 campaign said. "It's one institution thatcrosses ethnic divides, that crosses partisan divides. ... People have stood upbecause they care about marriage and they care a great deal."

Opponentsof the gay marriage ban said Wednesday that one legal challenge was filed andothers were being prepared.

By changing the state constitution to limitmarriage to a man and a woman, Proposition 8 overturns the California SupremeCourt decision that overturned the 2000 ban and legalized same-sex marriage inthe state in mid-June. Since then, an estimated 18,000 gay and lesbian couples,many of them from other states, have been married.

The measure's passagerepresents a personal loss for couples who still hoped to wed, and casts ashadow of uncertainty on the legal unions of those who already have. Because theinitiative holds that only marriage between a man and a woman is recognized inthe state, legal experts have said it will have to be resolved in court whetherexisting gay marriages would be nullified.

Amid uncertainty over whenthe amendment takes effect, gay and lesbian couples continued seeking marriagelicenses throughout the state Wednesday. They were successful in somejurisdictions and not others where county clerks wanted direction beforesanctioning any more same-sex unions.

Jake Rowe, 27, and James Eslick,29, were in the midst of getting married at Sacramento City Hall Wednesdaymorning when someone from the clerk's office stopped the wedding. The two menhad planned to get married next year because "We held in hope that 8 would notpass," Rowe said.

"I'm thoroughly surprised. I thought Californians hadcome to the point where they realized discrimination wasn't right," hesaid."

They won't give up, so don't shout too soon. We don't know what type of pressure they will put on the new admin.So this is a battle of perseverence. It's not over yet.

JNORM888

P.S. "Living life in a Democratic Republic is like trying to solve an a rubrics cube. There are alot of twists(alliances) and turns(compromises) you gotta make, in order to get the end result you desire"